1700 De Fer Map of the Straits of Magellan, Chile, South America

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Price: $400.00

Title: Le Detroit de Magellan.

Description: This is a scarce 1700 map of the Straits of Magellan, South America by Nicholas De Fer. It covers the important strait located at the southern tip of the South American mainland, just north of Tierra del Fuego. The map renders the region in detail, noting the coastline, capes, coastal features, soundings and other important navigational features and topography, with mountains beautifully rendered in profile.

The Strait of Magellan was discovered by the Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan, the first explores circumnavigate the globe, in 1520. This natural channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans though a challenging route to navigate (given the unpredictable winds and currents), is the fastest connection between the two oceans.

This map was engraved by Charles Inselin and created by Nicholas De Fer for his 1701 Atlas.

Cartographer:
Nicholas de Fer (1646 - 1720) was the son of cartographer Antoine de Fer. Nicholas was established as an engraver, cartographer, and map publisher in Paris. De Fer was a prolific cartographer with over 600 maps and atlases to his credit. De Fer's work, though replete with geographical errors, earned a large following because of its considerable decorative appeal. In the late 17th century, De Fer's fame culminated in his appointment as Geographe de le Dauphin, a position that offered him unprecedented access to the most up to date new cartographic information. This was a partner position to another simultaneously held by the more scientific geographer Guillaume Delisle, Premier Geograph de Roi. Despite very different cartographic approaches, Delisle and De Fer seem to have stepped carefully around one another and were rarely publicly at odds. Upon his death in 1720, Nicolas was succeeded by two of his sons-in-law, Guillaume Danet and Jacques-Francois Danet, and their heirs, who continued to publisher under the De Fer imprint until about 1760. Click here for a list of rare maps from Nicholas de Fer.